cats toilet training

Question
Hi Tina, about 4 weeks ago we adopted an abandoned 2 year old cat who had been dumped in a street in a cat carrier. The vet told us that she had a severe case of worms, which explained her rounded tummy, but she was definiteley NOT pregnant we were told. Imagine my surprise when she went into labour 3 days ago and produced 5 gorgeous kittens, Im so proud of her and she seems to be a really good mother. The problem is  she seems to have no toilet training. She has a really upset tummy but despite me getting her a litter tray yesterday she keeps going to the toilet onthe floor, in the kitchen or bathroom. Please can you advise us on ways to get her to use her litter tray as we have two young toddlers and this is turning into a real problem, thankyou.

Answer
HI Rebecca,

It sound slike this cat has diarrhea, which she cannot control. She probably would use a litterbox if she had control over her bowels but often diarrhea comes out without her being able to control it. This could be due to problems with her food but is most likely due to a heavy load of parasites. Was she treated for the worms the vet said she had - was a fecal exam done to see what kind of worms she has? Coccidia (a protozoan) and giardia are also non-worm parasites that frequently infect cats abandoned outdoors and can cause loss of control over the bowels. Also these parasites will be passed on to the kittens.

I suggest you take her for an exam at the vet - preferably not the one who missed the fact that she was pregnant! Bring a fresh sample of her stool for them to check for worms, giardia and coccidia. Then they can give you medicine to treat the parasites.

In the meantime, keep her and the kittens confined to a small room such as a bathroom which is easy to clean. It is safest for the kittens to be confined anyway.